Funding rises by one fifth for youth

Investment in child and adolescent mental health in England increased by almost 20 per cent last year but there were still wide variations in availability.

The government’s annual child and adolescent mental health service mapping exercise also found the number of staff working in the field rose by 11 per cent between 2004-5 and 2005-6.

But services were still lacking in several areas. More than a third had no 24-hour provision and only four councils reported that they had a fully comprehensive Camhs for children with learning difficulties and mental health needs in their area.